MR. McCLELLAN: Good morning, everybody. Let me walk through the
President's day. The President had his usual briefings this morning
before departing. Before departing, the President also spoke with Prime
Minister Koizumi of Japan. The two leaders talked about a number of
issues, including Iraq and North Korea. The President thanked the Prime
Minister for Japan's continued support and commitment to helping with
reconstruction in Iraq. They also discussed their shared commitment to
seeking a diplomatic solution as we move forward on North Korea, and
the importance of the next round of talks, including Japan and South
Korea.

The Prime Minister also updated the President on economic
development in Japan, and Japan's economic reform agenda. And that call
was about 15 minutes long.

Q Who called who?

MR. McCLELLAN: It's always set up, it's a mutually agreed to time.
Then at 11:15 p.m. in Pittsburgh, the President will make remarks to
the 2003 National Urban League Conference. The National Urban League
was founded in 1910, headquartered in New York City, it leads a
nonprofit, nonpartisan community-based movement to enable African
Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity and civil rights.
The National Urban League has affiliates in 100 cities and 34 states
and the District of Columbia. The President last spoke to the National
Urban League Conference on August 1, 2001, in Washington.

The President, in his remarks, will talk about our nation's
commitment to opportunity for all in America, where every person has
the opportunity to succeed and realize his or her dreams. He will talk
about his jobs and economic growth initiatives, expanding
homeownership, a good education for every child.

The President will also talk about how we must be a compassionate
society at home and abroad. He will talk about the importance of
reaching out to faith-based and community groups to help people in
need. He'll talk about his mentoring and drug treatment initiatives.
And I also expect he will touch on his emergency plan for AIDS relief,
targeted at the most afflicted countries in Africa and the Caribbean.

So his focus today will be on a society based on opportunity for
all, and a society that is committed to compassion. I also expect he
will talk about the war on terrorism.

Then we go back to Washington, D.C., where this afternoon the
President looks forward to signing the Burmese* Freedom and Democracy
Act.

Q What was the first word there?

MR. McCLELLAN: The Burmese.

Q Burmese.

MR. McCLELLAN: We worked closely with Congress on this legislation,
and this legislation sends a clear message to the regime in Burma. The
regime's continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and continued
oppression of its people is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to
stand. The U.S. is fully supportive of the people of Burma in their
struggle for freedom and democracy. And we will have a photo release
from that.

MR. McCLELLAN: We continue to have discussions with -- as he did
this morning, continue to have discussions with our friends and allies
in the region about the next round of talks. It's important that they
are multilateral talks that include Japan and South Korea, but there's
nothing set at this point to announce.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there continue to be attacks, as is to be
expected, by loyalists to the former regime, foreign terrorists and
other killers who are enemies of the Iraqi people and enemies of a free
and democratic Iraq. And we will -- our coalition forces will continue
to search for those remnants of the former regime, including Saddam
Hussein, and we will defeat them and we will destroy those former --

Q Military officials say we're --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- regime, but I think in terms of military
operations, those are things that are best addressed by the Department
of Defense or Central Command, in the region. But the search --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we welcome steps like this, that improve the
relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And improve the
relations between the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority and help
facilitate progress toward peace. The President made clear his views
the other day in the news conference with Prime Minister Abbas, that
these are issues that need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, and
that no one would want anyone released that had blood on their hands.
But we welcome steps like this. And the President looks forward to
visiting with Prime Minister Sharon tomorrow, about how we can continue
to move forward on our shared vision of two states, living side-by-side
in peace and security.

Q Is there an other message tomorrow -- is there a specific message
customized for tomorrow?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you'll have an opportunity to hear from the
two leaders after the meeting. So let's let the meeting take place and
then you'll hear from them.

Q They're going to do an appearance afterwards?

MR. McCLELLAN: You will have an -- the pool will have an
opportunity.

Q What's the status of Afghan aid? There was a State Department
official saying that you would ask for $1 billion. Other stories are
more tentative. Where are you on it?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, we were successful in the battle
of Afghanistan, which was part of the war on terrorism. And as a
result, you have 20 million Afghans who live free from the oppression
of the Taliban, in a world that is safer because Afghanistan is no
longer a safe harbor for terrorists. And in freeing the Afghan people
and eliminating the safe harbor for terrorists, we've also been
successful in helping the Afghan people build a better future for
themselves, through such efforts as rebuilding roads and reopening
schools. We want to build on those successes, to cement a better, more
hopeful future for the people of Afghanistan. And part of that effort
is to ensure that all the necessary resources are devoted to achieving
that goal.

But right now, in terms of where we are, we're working with the
Afghanistan government, the international community and Congress to
ensure that we devote the necessary resources to Afghanistan. I'm not
in a position to announce anything at this point. That's where we are.

Q That's --

MR. McCLELLAN: That's where we are right now.

Q But you are -- you're considering extra resources or extra aid?

MR. McCLELLAN: Those discussions are continuing. I'm not going to
announce anything from my end, this morning.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think some of this was addressed in the
briefing last week --

Q Hadley had to speak on her behalf.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- addressed these issues. But Dr. Rice is doing an
outstanding job as National Security Advisor to the President. And I
think that Steve Hadley addressed those issues last week in the
briefing.

Q So there are no plans -- Steve had to speak for her, because she
was out of town at the time.

MR. McCLELLAN: She was traveling.

Q Yes. So there are no plans --

MR. McCLELLAN: But he made clear her views. I think Steve Hadley
made her views known.

Q The President has confidence in Rice, in other words?

MR. McCLELLAN: Absolutely. Condi Rice is one of, if not the most
outstanding, National Security Advisors this nation has ever had. She
has been strongly committed to -- strongly committed, along with the
President, to making America safer and making the world safer. And
she's doing a great job in that respect.

MR. McCLELLAN: The President did call Lance Armstrong to
congratulate him on an impressive fifth Tour de France victory. That
was shortly after he won his fifth Tour de France. And of course I
think we all look forward to him going for an unprecedented sixth Tour
de France victory.

Q Will he visit the White House again?

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't have anything to update you on this point,
but we would certainly welcome that opportunity. And if there's
something to update you on, we certainly will.